Cytokines: The links between bone and the immune system
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Updated: Jul 9, 2025

Effect of Anti-c-fms Antibody on Osteoclast Formation and Proliferation of Osteoclast Precursor In Vitro
Published on: March 18, 2019
Liping Cai1, You Lv2, Qihui Yan2
1Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China; Department of Endocrinology, Rheumatology and Immunology, Anyang People's Hospital, Anyang, Henan 455000, China.
Abstract:
Osteoporosis results from an imbalance in a highly balanced physiological process called bone remodeling, in which osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and osteoblast-mediated bone formation play important roles. Osteoimmunology is a newly discovered interdisciplinary research field that focuses on the relationship between bone and the immune system. Specifically, bone and the immune system interact through cytokines, immune cells secrete cytokines, and cytokines finely regulate bone metabolism by mediating the differentiation and activity of osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Therefore, understanding the influence of cytokines on bone metabolism is conducive for the development of novel targeted drugs against immune-related bone diseases. This review summarizes the pathophysiological functions of various common cytokines in bone and discusses the potential clinical value of multiple cytokines in immune-mediated bone diseases.
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